Note-Making and Summarising
Note-Making and Summarising
Note-making and summarising close the comprehension chapter and give 1 to 2 questions in the Part-III English paper. They are also the skill this whole chapter is really building towards, since a teacher summarises a text for a class on the blackboard every working day.
What a Summary Must Do
A summary restates the main ideas of a passage in a shorter form and in your own words. Three requirements define it.
- It carries only the main ideas — examples, repetitions and illustrations are dropped.
- It is in your own words, not lifted phrases.
- It is normally about one-third the length of the original.
- It adds nothing — no opinion, no comment, no extra information.
- It keeps the author's order and emphasis unless there is a reason not to.
✗ Adding your own opinion of the argument to the summary | ✓ A summary reports the passage; it never evaluates it
The Method
- Read the passage once for the general sense.
- Read again, underlining the topic sentence of each paragraph.
- Write those sentences as a list — that list is the skeleton.
- Remove repetitions, examples and figures of speech.
- Join the remaining points into connected prose in your own words.
- Count the words and trim to the required length.
- Give it a short title if one is asked for.
The topic sentence is usually the first or last sentence of a paragraph. Underlining it while reading, rather than trying to summarise from memory afterwards, is what makes the process quick.
Note-Making Format
Notes differ from a summary: they use abbreviations, symbols and indentation rather than connected prose, and they are meant to be read at a glance.
| Element | Convention |
|---|---|
| Title | Short, at the top |
| Main heading | Numbered 1, 2, 3 |
| Sub-heading | Indented, marked 1.1, 1.2 |
| Further detail | Indented again |
| Abbreviations | Standard ones, listed in a key at the end |
| Symbols | &, →, >, %, no. — used consistently |
A key listing the abbreviations used is required, and omitting it is the commonest fault. Notes should use no full sentences at all — a note written in complete sentences is a summary in the wrong format.
Why This Matters Beyond the Mark
Note-making is the skill a middle-school teacher uses most: turning a textbook chapter into board notes a class can copy and revise from. A question in a teaching paper may frame it that way, asking which set of notes is correctly structured rather than asking you to produce one.
The same skill also improves comprehension marks, because a candidate practised in finding topic sentences finds the central idea of an unseen passage faster. The two topics reinforce each other, which is why they sit in the same chapter.
सारांश में अपनी राय कभी नहीं जोड़ते — सिर्फ मूल बातें।
TRE pointer: The rule examiners test most is that a summary adds nothing — no opinion, no comment, no example of your own. The second is the one-third length convention. For note-making, the missing key of abbreviations is the fault most often penalised. Since you are being recruited to teach, expect this to be framed around classroom notes rather than as an abstract exercise, and with −1/3 negative marking, format questions are answerable with certainty.
60-Second Recap
- A summary carries only main ideas, in your own words, about one-third the length.
- It adds no opinion, comment or new information.
- Underline the topic sentence of each paragraph while reading.
- Drop examples, repetitions and figures of speech.
- Notes use headings, indentation, abbreviations and symbols — never full sentences.
- A key listing the abbreviations used is compulsory.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a summary be?
About one-third the length of the original passage, unless a word limit is specified. It must carry every main idea and no examples, repetitions or illustrations. Exceeding the limit is penalised even when the content is otherwise correct.
Can I include my own opinion in a summary?
No. A summary reports what the passage says and nothing else. Adding an opinion, a comment or an extra example is a fault, however sensible the addition. This is the rule tested most often, because candidates naturally want to respond to the argument.
What is the difference between notes and a summary?
A summary is connected prose in your own words. Notes use headings, numbering, indentation, abbreviations and symbols, and never full sentences. Notes are made to be scanned; a summary is made to be read. Writing notes in complete sentences is a format error.
Why is a key needed in note-making?
Because notes use abbreviations that a reader cannot be expected to decode, so a key listing them is part of the format. Omitting it is the most frequently penalised fault in note-making, and questions on correct format usually include it as the distinguishing element.
Next step: Comprehension improves only with timed practice on unseen passages. Take this chapter's questions in the BPSC TRE 4.0 mock test on ExamAtlas — five options, −1/3 negative marking, and passages set at Part-III level.